Siegfried hansing



(No Model.)

-S. HANSING.

STRINGING PIANOS. No. 416,458. Patented Dec. 3, 1889..

' WITNESSES: I mvE/ir k M W I ATTOkNEY N. Pawns Phnln-Lxlilographcv. Washmglon D C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIEGFRIED HANSING, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

STRINGING PIANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,458, dated December 3, 1889.

Serial No. 307,127, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIEGFRIED HANSING, of the city, county, and State of New York, a citizen of Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Stringing Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

A number of experiments which have been made in stringing the sounding-boards of pianos have demonstrated that the more the sounding-board is relieved from the strain or pressure exerted thereon by the strings the more perfect is the working of the sounding-board and the greater the volume of sound produced. As regards the quality of each tone, it must be noted that each string has to be strained for a certain distance firmly on the bridge of the sounding-board. This requires that each string is strained by two bridge-pins, which necessitates the bending of the string from one straining-pin to the other. This bending of the strings between the straining-pins has heretofore been accomplished in such a manner that the bends of all the strings between the straining-pins have the same direction. This has the disadvantage that by the strain on the strings the sounding-board is exposed to a peculiar strain, which impairs the free motion of the same in responding to the vibrations of the strings. This peculiar strain on the sounding-board does not alone impair, as stated, that quality of the tone, but it also influences, especially in changes of temperature, the proper tuning of the strings.

The object of this invention is to obviate the objections stated to the present method of stringing pianos and to remove the injurious pressure exerted by the strings on the sounding-board; and the invention consists for this purpose in stringing the soundingboard in such a manner that the strings of one tone are bent in one direction around the st-raining-pins,while the adjoining strings are bent in the opposite direction around the straining-pins, so that the strings of the two groups converge toward each other.

The accompanying drawing represents a top View of a part of a sounding-board bridge of a piano, showing my improved method of stringing a piano.

Referring to the drawing, A representsthe sounding board; B, the sounding board bridge; 0, the metallic string-frame of a piano, and D the string-pins. The sounding-board bridge is provided with the usual groups of straining-pins b, by which the strings D are strained in such a manner that one set of strings is bent toward the left over the straining-pins Z) Z), while the adjoining set is bent from the left toward the right, and so that the bends of said sets of strings converge toward each other. The direction of the bands between the straining-pins thus alternate on the bridge, which has the advantage that the pressure of one set of strings neutralizes the pressure of the adjoining set of springs, and that the sounding-board is relieved entirely of the injurious effect exerted on the same when all the strings are bent around the strainingpins in the same direct-ion. If it is not desired to change the strings of one tone from the strings of the adjoiningtone, as this may be connected with some difficulty in producing the proper scale of strings, two or three adjoining sets of strings may be bent in one direction around the straining-pins,while the next adjoining set or group of strings is bent in the opposite direction, and so on, by which nearly the same relief for the sounding-board is obtained, but not in the same perfect manner as if the strings or every alternating set were bent in opposite direction around the straining-pins.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent The combination, with a piano soundingboard and a sounding-board bridge, of strings which are bent in groups alternately in opposite direction around the straining-pins, so that the bends of one group or set of strings converge toward the bends of the adjoining groups or sets of strings, substantially as set forth,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SIE GFRIED HANSING.

Vitnesses:

PAUL GOEPEL, JOHN A. STRALEY. 

